An Experimental Investigation of Optimizing a Water-Based Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) System through Reduced Tube Spacing

Authors

  • Alhusayn Almalih Department of Mechanical Engineering, Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt | Department of Mechanical Engineering, Derna University, Derna, Libya
  • A. K. Azab Department of Mechanical Engineering, Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
  • M. ElFaisal ElRefaie Department of Mechanical Engineering, Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
Volume: 15 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 26323-26329 | October 2025 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.12227

Received: 18 May 2025 | Revised: 12 June 2025 and 29 June 2025 | Accepted: 6 July 2025 | Online: 12 August 2025


Corresponding author: Alhusayn Almalih

Abstract

Elevated temperatures in Photovoltaic (PV) cells significantly reduce their electrical efficiency, posing a major challenge to the advancement of the PV technology. While several cooling strategies have been proposed to address this issue, many remain inefficient due to the inadequate heat transfer between the cooling medium and the PV surface. In this study, a rear-side cooling system comprising 16 closely spaced parallel pipes was developed to enhance the heat dissipation from the PV module to the cooling water, improving the performance of Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) systems. Experimental evaluations were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed system in comparison with a conventional PV module. The findings demonstrate that the highest cell temperature of the PV module is 62 °C at noon, corresponding with the greatest irradiation value of 1020 W/m². At the same time, the PVT system's highest cell temperature is 43.7 °C. This 29.25% decrease in the cell temperature increased the maximum power, improving the electrical efficiency by 11.75% during water cooling.

Keywords:

Photovoltaic Thermal System (PVT), electrical performance, sustainable energy, distance between tubes

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How to Cite

[1]
A. Almalih, A. K. Azab, and M. E. ElRefaie, “An Experimental Investigation of Optimizing a Water-Based Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) System through Reduced Tube Spacing”, Eng. Technol. Appl. Sci. Res., vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 26323–26329, Oct. 2025.

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